OP: My Aircraft Carrier Evolves#152+153: A Gift from the Knight of the Sea! Shanks Arrives, and Conqueror's Haki Collides!

Hannabal.

Inside the municipal hall, Mayor Enru stood with his entire management team—the Minister of Finance, the Chief of Security, the Harbormaster, the Arena Foreman, and others.

They were here to report on their progress.

Jin had been to Skypiea and back down to Jaya, but he hadn't actually been gone for very long.

The meeting was brief.

But it was necessary.

It was a vital process for everyone involved, both up and down the chain of command.

For Jin, it was a chance to see who was actually working and to cement his authority. If he were to simply let them be, this lot might be wary of him now, but give them an inch, and they'd take a mile. Let them go too long without oversight, and the whole system would rot from the inside out.

Sure, there were honest men among them. But who could maintain their passion when ground down by the daily grind? It wasn't a matter of replacing a few bad apples.

It was human nature.

It didn't need to be tested; it simply was.

For his subordinates, it was a chance to get some face time with the king, to show their worth. It was a path to promotion.

It gave them something to strive for.

After the meeting, Mayor Enru arranged for Jin to stay at a quiet, heavily guarded estate on the outskirts of the city.

It was there that he met with one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the "Knight of the Sea" Jinbe.

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The door to the drawing-room opened. A young man walked in—elegantly dressed, with a commanding presence and handsome features.

He was a perfect match for the photograph in the newspaper.

Jinbe rose to his feet—a solid, deliberate movement. He gave a slight, formal bow. "Your Majesty. I am Jinbe."

Jin just smiled. He took a seat first, then gestured to the chair opposite him.

"Sit, Jinbe. What brings you to me?"

He studied the Fish-Man. Jinbe was a whale shark Fish-Man with wild, wind-swept eyebrows and sideburns. He wore his hair in a topknot, a short, thick black beard on his chin, and a lightning-bolt-shaped scar at the corner of his left eye. He was a large, powerfully built man with two massive teeth protruding from his lower jaw.

The symbol of the Sun Pirates was tattooed on the center of his chest. He wore a patterned yukata and traditional Wano-style wooden sandals.

Jinbe sat. "I have come on behalf of King Neptune of the Ryugu Kingdom on Fish-Man Island—"

"—I bring his blessings, and a gift."

He gestured to an ornate box on the table between them.

Jin nodded but didn't open it. "Very well. I accept his gift. Please thank King Neptune for me when you return."

A wave of relief washed over Jinbe.

The Ryugu Kingdom was not a member of the World Government. Most of the kings of the member nations, for reasons of race or security, refused to deal with them.

Jinbe had come here on a long shot. He couldn't afford to miss any opportunity.

The fact that Jin had accepted the gift meant there was a chance.

"I heard that you recently defeated one of the Seven Warlords, Doflamingo," Jinbe said. "It is truly astonishing. In my youth, I was nowhere near as powerful as you. Your wisdom and your radiance shine as brightly as the sun..."

He sat stiffly, offering polite, flattering words.

Even pirates had to play the game.

A playful smirk touched Jin's lips. "That doesn't sound much like the 'Knight of the Sea' I've heard about."

Jinbe had earned his moniker for his chivalry and his strong sense of responsibility.

But Jin knew that the younger Jinbe, much like Arlong, had harbored a deep malice toward humans.

He had been a street tough in the Fish-Man District. After his boss, Fisher Tiger, had left on his adventures, he had become his successor.

Later, he had joined the Neptune Army, rising through the ranks to become its commander.

When Fisher Tiger had returned after freeing the slaves of the Celestial Dragons, the former members of the Fish-Man District had rallied around him, forming the Sun Pirates to protect him from the World Government. Jinbe had left the army and joined them.

In the early days, he had often killed humans in retaliation. It was only under Fisher Tiger's influence, and after learning the bitter lesson of the endless cycle of revenge, that he had begun to re-examine the relationship between Fish-Men and humans. His methods had changed, and he had grown distant from Arlong.

But in Jin's view, it was more likely that Jinbe had simply recognized the potential of humanity and had realized that to be their enemy was to be annihilated.

And so, he had begun to seek peace.

From the very beginning, Jinbe's first priority had always been the protection of Fish-Man Island.

For that, he had joined the Warlords.

He had called Whitebeard "Pops."

When Whitebeard fell, he had pledged himself to Big Mom.

And when he saw Luffy's potential, he had "backstabbed" her and jumped ship.

Back home, a man like that would be called a turncoat.

And that was one of the reasons many fans felt that Jinbe wasn't a good fit for the Straw Hat crew. His bonds were too shallow. It felt as if he had only been added to the crew to resolve the conflict between humans and Fish-Men, to represent a certain "correct" ideology.

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"I can guess your true purpose here," Jin said, cutting through Jinbe's clumsy flattery. "You want me to recognize the Ryugu Kingdom? Or perhaps to put in a good word for you at next year's Levely?"

Jinbe nodded. "Your perception is admirable."

But Jin just shook his head. "It's not that simple. The issue of race is not something one or two people can change. The plight of the Fish-Men has both internal and external causes. The external causes—the pirates, the slave traders, the oppression, both seen and unseen—you know all about. So I'll just talk about the internal."

"Within the Fish-Man race itself, there is a faction of extremists who hate humans and who tarnish the image of your people. I don't mind you taking revenge on the slavers who capture mermaids, or the pirates who prey on your people. But you only dare to raise your hand against those who are weaker than you, and in doing so, you only provoke more hatred from humans. Even those who sympathize with you are disgusted by the actions of those Fish-Men and are forced to be on their guard. For example, Arlong and his crew, who tried to establish a 'Fish-Man Paradise' in the East Blue and brought nothing but suffering to the humans there."

Jinbe's eyes flickered. 'So Arlong went to the East Blue? And from the way he's talking, he's probably been dealt with.'

A quiet sigh escaped him.

"Arlong and his crew were released from Impel Down because you became a Warlord," Jin continued, his words merciless.

"—And they went to the East Blue and slaughtered innocent people. And it's not just Arlong. Other members of the Sun Pirates have become slave traders themselves, burning and pillaging. Is that right? Don't you hate the human slave traders? Or does it not matter when it's your own people doing it? Or is it that you don't hate oppression itself? You just hate that you're not the ones doing the oppressing?"

"These are problems that you, Jinbe, the 'Knight of the Sea,' have just ignored? Or have you simply turned a blind eye? You are the one who unleashed that evil. You bear a great responsibility. You are responsible for half of their crimes."

Jinbe was speechless.

"If you don't clean up your own house, if you don't deal with the cancer within your own race, and just continue to play the victim... then no one can help you."

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Jinbe walked out of the estate in a daze. He had come with good intentions, and he had been chewed out like a child. His "chivalry," the thing he was most proud of, had been branded the "source of evil."

And he couldn't refute a single word.

If he were younger, he would have slammed his fist on the table and started a fight. But the years had smoothed his rough edges.

And the king's words... they weren't wrong.

Did he not know about the faction of extremists within his own race, the ones who hated and harmed humans?

Of course he knew. In his youth, he had been one of them.

He had simply turned a blind eye.

His steps were heavy. As he stepped outside, the cool breeze cleared his head a little. He looked back at the estate and took a deep breath.

He may have been reprimanded, but it wasn't a total loss. This king's understanding of the situation was far deeper, far more rational than he had imagined.

From this first meeting, it was clear that he didn't discriminate against Fish-Men as a whole, only the extremists among them.

Compared to those who were disgusted by the mere sight of a Fish-Man, it was a good start.

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No sooner had Jinbe left than two new guests arrived in Jin's drawing-room.

They came in through the window, without alerting anyone. One by one, they lowered their hoods, revealing their faces.

Jin sat calmly. He wasn't surprised. He wasn't even fazed.

Just a little exasperated.

"I have to ask," he said, "one of you is a Yonko, Shanks, and the other is the world's greatest swordsman, 'Hawkeye' Mihawk. What is it with you people and windows? Is the front door just for decoration, or are you both allergic?"

Shanks and Mihawk both froze.

They had thought they were being clever, sneaking in without being noticed. But Jin's words...

It was awkward.

Fortunately, Shanks was used to being free and easy. He had a thick skin. "You knew it was us, and you didn't even flinch?"

"Alright, fine, you scared me to death," Jin said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Should I scream for help? Bring the guards running?"

"You know that would be useless," Shanks said, his tone serious now. "It would only lead to unnecessary casualties. I'm not here to cause trouble. I just want to talk to you about someone."

"Have a seat," Jin said. "Tea? Or something else?"

"No, thank you."

Shanks sat on the sofa opposite him, and Mihawk took a seat to the side.

"Alright. Who do you want to talk about?" Jin asked, feigning ignorance. The moment he had seen Shanks, he had known who he was here for.

Shanks hesitated for a moment. "Uta."

"Oh?" Jin said, looking at him.

Shanks told him the story—how he had found Uta, and everything that had happened after.

When he got to the part about Elegia, he faltered, but he pushed on.

"When Uta loses control, she becomes a demon," he said, his voice low. "She can cause destruction on a national scale. She's incredibly dangerous. We've been looking for a solution for years, but we've found nothing."

Shanks's eyes suddenly turned sharp. "I don't know what your intentions are. But if you dare to harm her, to use her... I will never forgive you."

"Oh, how scary," Jin said, mimicking Kizaru's tone, his own gaze turning hard. "Weren't you the ones who harmed her? For your so-called 'love,' you abandoned her, left her alone on Elegia to suffer in solitude. You pat yourselves on the back for shouldering the burden, for bearing the 'sin' all alone. You think it makes you noble. But it's just self-serving sentiment."

"I hear you're the freest pirates on the sea. Is your freedom bought at the expense of others, Shanks?" Jin's voice was an accusation.

"Expense?"

Shanks's eyes turned cold, a flash of anger in them.

Jin's words were a direct challenge to his ideals...

Their gazes locked. An invisible pressure radiated from them, silencing all sound. It was the standoff between two alpha predators, their powerful auras clashing.

Threads of raw Haki began to bleed into the air, manifesting as crackling arcs of black and red lightning that danced between them.

The servants in the estate collapsed, one by one.

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Jinbe, who hadn't gotten far, suddenly whipped his head around. His face paled, his heart pounding. It was the feeling of mortal danger. Goosebumps broke out on his skin, his breathing becoming shallow and rapid.

"A clash of Conqueror's Haki?" he whispered. "Who...?"

He hesitated, then turned and ran back.

He had only taken a few steps when the ground began to tremble, and a massive cloud of dust and debris shot into the sky.

A powerful shockwave erupted from the estate.

The manor didn't just break—it exploded outward, reduced to a pile of rubble.

In the ruins, the clash of Jin's and Shanks's Conqueror's Haki intensified, the invisible forces spiraling upward. A powerful energy field, like a vortex of golden and red lightning, crackled between them.

The waves of Conqueror's Haki washed over the island in all directions, a tsunami of power that tore the very sky asunder.

Even Mihawk had to take a step back, his eyes wide with surprise.

For the average "king," Conqueror's Haki was just a tool for clearing out the rabble. But he had sparred with Shanks. He knew that for a true conqueror, it was a weapon of immense destructive power.

Shanks had learned to control it during his time with Roger.

But this young king...

Mihawk's sharp eyes were fixed on him. He could feel the unique golden Conqueror's Haki radiating from the king. It was powerful. And, just like Shanks, he was able to project it, to wrap it around his body.

And it was that clash that was causing the physical destruction.

No wonder Doflamingo had been "insta-defeated." Mihawk had thought it was just a sensationalist headline.

But now, he knew it was true.

This young king's power was beyond imagination.

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"What? It's the Yonko, Shanks!"

Jinbe, who had rushed back, saw the two men facing off, and his eyes widened in shock. "What's going on? Why is a Yonko here? And why is he fighting King Jin? No... the more shocking thing is... that king has a Haki that's on par with a Yonko's?"

He stared at Jin, a look of utter disbelief on his face. "Their Conqueror's Haki..."

—————————

Hannabal was in chaos. The people felt a brilliant flash of light, and then... nothing.

The entire island, save for a handful of individuals, had been knocked unconscious by the powerful wave of Conqueror's Haki.

Robin, Uta, Mayor Enru, Mihawk, and Jinbe.

"What... what's happening?" Uta, who had been rehearsing in the concert hall, rushed outside. In the distance, she could feel a familiar presence.

On the deck of the carrier, Robin, who had been relaxing under an umbrella with a cup of coffee and a newspaper, felt the sudden, oppressive shift in the atmosphere. She looked up. The sky was churning, the sea was raging.

A terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki was washing over the island, a ripple of pure power. The very space around them seemed to be warping.

Robin was stunned.

She had seen a lot in her life. Her will was strong. And she had the invisible protection of the demonic carrier.

The port town was in chaos. Many people had been injured when they had suddenly collapsed. In some areas, explosions had broken out.

"Time to get to work!" Ai's voice crackled over the ship's intercom. Squads of Germa soldiers marched out from the hangar and onto the island to begin rescue operations.

Robin also got up to help.

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"You have no right to judge us!" Shanks said, his voice cold, his gaze sharp enough to pierce through any obstacle.

"And what gives you the right to come waltzing in here?" Jin retorted, standing firm against the surging Haki.

"Did you think being a Yonko made my home your personal playground??"

They stood in silence, their eyes locked, the terrifying pressure between them palpable, the shockwaves of their clash still echoing through the air.